Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W)

Social work is a profession that includes helping vulnerable individuals, families, and communities from all backgrounds work through challenges and enhance their well-being and everyday lives.

About This Program

Through this program, students will gain an understanding of and a sensitivity to human diversity, engage in collaborative problem-solving procedures with individuals, organizations, and communities, and advocate for and promote social and economic justice for disadvantaged people.


The social work curriculum does not formally begin until the student's junior year because it is considered an upper-division professional program.

Students will begin taking the required general education courses for the major as freshmen (aka Pre-Social Work Majors).

The Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W) requires 120 semester hours to complete.

The Pre-Social Work Major phase (Freshman and Sophomore semesters) will consist of 60 credit hours of general education and prerequisite courses, while the upper-division phase (Junior and Senior semesters) will consist of 60 credit hours of professional social work courses. This equals a total of 120 semester credit hours.

Students must meet the following requirements in order to qualify for progression from the lower-division (pre-social work) status into the upper-division (social work) status:

  1. The student must complete the general education curriculum (60 credit hours).
  2. The student must complete the BSW Application Process.
  3. The student must have at least a 2.0 GPA overall.

Certain courses in the curriculum are open to non-majors and offer exposure to current issues in service delivery. Program graduates may be eligible for advanced standing in many schools offering the Master of Social Work (MSW) Degree.

All students — lower-division and upper-division — must have at least a 2.0 GPA overall

All courses — lower-division and upper-division — must be passed with a grade of “C” or better. 


FAMU’s BSW Program does not grant academic credit for previous paid employment, volunteer work, or life experience.


Total Credit Hours for Degree: 120 hrs

Academic Course Curriculum

Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W) Degree Requirements

 

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Lower Division (Pre-Social Work Majors)

The lower-division 60 hours that are taken in the freshmen and sophomore years include:

  • Social Work Practice (12 credit hours)

  • Research (6 hours)

  • Human Behavior (6 credit hours)

  • Policy (6 credit hours), 

  • Diversity (3 credit hours), 

  • Ethics (3 credit hours) and 

  • Field Education (15 credit hours), 

  • Introduction to areas of social work practice that are of special interest to the student (9 credit hours)

Upper Division (Social Work Majors)

The upper-division 60 hours that taken in the junior and senior years include:

  • 14 required social work courses (42 credit hours)
  • 2 social work electives (6 credit hours)
  • And a field practicum (12 credit hours)

 

Your Map to the Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W)

The mission of the Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W) Program is to provide generalist social work education to students that reflects the history, knowledge, values, ethics and skills of the social work profession and prepares students for entry level generalist practice. Program graduates will be eligible for beginning social work practice and advanced standing upon entry into a graduate program of study.

Goal 1: Prepare students for entry-level generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Goal 2: Prepare students to practice social work with an understanding of the importance of respect for diverse people's inherent dignity and worth, particularly members of vulnerable populations.

 

The BSW Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.  Our accreditation status is important as many states, programs and graduate schools have policies which require or prefer BSW graduates from accredited social work programs.

 

BSW Student Handbook

This handbook is intended to orient you to the FAMU – Department of Social Work (BSW program).

 

All students must complete the BSW Admissions Packet (see BSW Student Handbook). The BSW program requires that:

  • Students have been admitted to the University.
  • Students must complete at least 60 hours of lower division coursework.
  • Students must submit an unofficial copy of transcript.
  • Transfer students with an AA degree from a Florida state college or university, transcript must include evidence of AA degree completion.

Should you have any questions regarding the admission's process or the BSW Program in general, you may contact Ms. Larae Lauray, the BSW Program Director at (850) 561-2254 or via email atlarae.lauray@famu.edu.

 

Field Education Manual & Materials

 

All BSW students must complete a field placement/internship. Field placement consists of a full-time work week over a period of one semester as a requirement for graduation.  

For more information contact the BSW Field Director-Ms. Aprell Merritt (Visiting Faculty) at aprell.merritt@famu.edu.

The BSW Program curriculum consists of a semester course sequence including research, policy, human behavior and the social environment, research methods, and electives, which align with Generalist Practice and CSWE Core Competencies.  The curriculum is designed to build knowledge, skills, and values drawing on cognitive and affective processes that culminate in students’ ability to demonstrate multidimensional competency.

 

Lower Division (Pre-Social Work)

Subject

Course

Course

Credit Hours
English:      
ENC 1101 Communicative Skills I 3
ENC 1102 Communicative Skills II 3
ENC 2300/3243/3320 Advanced Writing Course* 3
* Students with C in ENC 1101 or ENC 1102 must take ENC 2300; other students may select any one of these writing courses.
Math:
MAC/MGF Math class 1105 or above   3
MAC/MGF Math class 1105 or above   3
Science:
BSC 1005/1010 Biology 3
GLY/BOT/PSC/AST/CHM   Science course 3
Social Sciences & Humanities:
AMH 2010/2020 American History 3
AMH 2091/AFA 3104 African-American History or Experience 3
ECO 2013 Principles of Economics 3
POS 2041 American National Government 3
PSY 2012 Introduction to Psychology 3
SYG 2000 Introduction to Sociology 3
SYG/SYA/SYD/SYO/SYP   Sociology course 3
HUM/REL/MUH/ARH   Humanities course 3
SPC 2608 Public Speaking 3
Miscellaneous:
SOW 3203 Introduction to Social work 3
HSC 1100 Health 3
CGS 2060 Introduction to Computers (or more advanced comp. class) 3
    Free Electives 3
        Total Lower Level Hours: 60 credit Hours

     

 

 

Upper Division (Social Work)

 

Junior Year

Semester 1

Total 15

Semester 2

Total 15

Senior Year

Semester 1

Total 15

Semester 2

Total 15

Total Upper Level Hours: 60

Total Hours for B.S. in Social Work: 120

Social Work Special Interest Courses

 

BSW Student Learning Outcomes

All students are assessed using a minimum of two measures on their mastery of the nine competencies that comprise the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education.

 

Program Faculty

Name Email Phone
Katisa Donaldson M.S.W,
Chair

katisa.donaldson@famu.edu

 (850) 412-7551
LaRae Lauray M.S.W,
BSW Program Director

larae.lauray@famu.edu

 (850) 561-2254
Aprell Tinner M.S.W,
BSW Field Director

aprell.merritt@famu.edu

 (850) 599-8852

 

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